Gathering machine



April 28, 1942. N. D. MITCHELL v 2,280,963

GATHERING mcrmm Filed Aug. 23, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l Narmaa 11. Mhshell,

' INVENTOR.

Mmmvim N. D. MITCHELL GATHERING MACHINE April 28, 1942.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. gs, 1941 1 1mm Rma'mem- INVENIOR. m'manmPatented Apr. 28, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GATHERING MACHINENorman D. Mitchell, Park Ridge, Ill. Application August 23, 1941, SerialNo. 408,039

12 Claims.

, The invention here disclosed relates to the gathering of sheets,signatures, book sections and the like.

Special objects of the invention are to provide apparatus of simple,practical form, which may be adapted to and used for the variety ofgathering purposes ordinarily encountered in a book assemblingestablishment.

Other desirable objects and the novel features of invention by which allobjects are accomplished will appear and are definitely set forth in thefollowing specification.

The drawings accompanying and forming part of the specificationillustrate one of the practical embodiments of the invention. Structure,

however, may be modified and changed as rerespectively of an adjustableform of tray or cabinet section, Figure 7 being taken as on the line 1-!of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a plan view of one of the collecting or receiving trays, theannular rotating carrier for the trays being shown broken away atopposite sides of the tray.

Figure 9 isa similar view of an adjustable form of collecting tray.

Figure 10 is a sectional view as on line III-I ofFigure 9.

In the present invention the supply sheets are mounted on a centraltable and these are withdrawn by operators stationed aboutthe table anddropped into collecting trays rotating between the operators and thecentral supply source.

In Figures 1 and 2 the central supply table is designated H and it isshown as substantially circular and supported in stationary relation bya central pedestal I2;

Sheet supply cabinets are shown at I3 removably mounted in a circularseries on the table.

Operator stations are indicated at M, about the table, opposite thesupply cabinets I3.

The gatheringor collecting trays are indicated at I5, removably andadjustably mounted on a the table and carried by radial arms ITprojecting from a hub l8 riding on an annular shoulder IS on the centralpedestal l2.

The hub I8 of the rotating carrier is shown as having an outstandingflange 20, forming a friction disc engaged byfriction drive wheel 2|.

For purposes of speed adjustment, the friction drive wheel 2| is shownas adjustably mounted on shaft 22, the latter operated through reductiongearing 23 from motor 24. The motor and reduction gear unit are shown ascarried :by bracket 25 mounted on the table pedestal below the frictiondisc 20.

To enable operatorsto exercise a proper degree of control over themachine there is provided in the illustration an annular conduit 26, onthe floor, about the base of the pedestal, carrying the wiring for themotor and having interposed in it, switch boxes 21 substantiallyopposite the operator stations and having switch buttons 28 within footreach of operators at the individual stations.

In Figures 3, 4 and 5, the cabinets are shown as made up of traysections 29 having flanged bases 30, by which they may be removablystacked one on top of the other and an incline or wedge support 3|engageable beneath the bottom section to support the stack in arearwardly or inwardly inclined relation.

Forwardly inclined back drops are shown at- 32 adjustably secured byscrew fastenings 33 extending through slots 34 in the bottoms of thetrays.

The sides of the supply trays 29 are shown connected near the front bycross braces 35.

Constructed as described, the trays can be made of relatively lightsheet metal.

Some or all of the trays which make up the cabinets can be adjustableinsize, after the manner illustrated in Figures 6 and 7, where the trayof the latter sections are shown adjustably sei cured by screwfastenings 44 adjustable in slots 45 in the bottom sections.

Similarly, the collecting trays may be of fixed dimension, or adjustableto hold different size sheets, as illustrated in Figure 8 and Figures 9and 10.

In both instances they may be adjustably and removably engaged on theannular support l6 by dependent fixed brackets 46 at the back, engagingdown over the inner edge of theannular support and clamping brackets 41pivoted on the sides of the boxes or trays at 48 and yieldingly grippedagainst the outer edge of the annular support by spring connections 49caught to the lower ends of the fixed brackets at 50 and removablyhooked to the swinging brackets atl.

The extensible form of receiving tray, Figures 9 and 10, is shown asmade up of two bottom sections 52, 53, slidably engaged one over theother and retained so by hook lugs 54 at the rear andforward edges ofone sectionslidably engaged over the corresponding edges l of the othersection.

The supply cabinets maybe built up in any number of tiers according tothe number of sheets, signatures or sections to be taken by eachoperator and these cabinets may be placed on the table according tothenumber of operators employed.

Theoperator stations may be simply seats or rests for the operators.

The number and spacing of the collecting trays .on the annular carriermay be varied to meet the special requirementsof the work.

In the illustration the cabinets have five trays or compartments. Eachoperator, therefore, will have'the duty ofwithdrawing, in proper order,five sheets or signatures and depositing those .within the tray which ispassing at the time. For each revolution of the carrier, therefore, eachtray will receive a complete set of sheets, signatures or the like.Extra spacemay be left between the first and the .last cabinets of theseries for convenient access of an unloading operator to remove thecollected books or sections from the trays as they reach such point.

Where the work requires that a book be gathered in sections, after theseveralsections have been accumulated, each section. as abovedescribed,the cabinetsmay be removed and the. sections of each order bestacked on the table in front of the severaloperators whoare to as-:semblethe sections and who then withdraw the sections from the. stacksin front of them, de-

positing them in the trays, as they reach each station.

In case of an. operator missing a sheet or a section, thepower can be.thrown off to stop or to slow the machine until the errorcan becorrected, by the operator simply actuating the;

switch button 28 in iront .of him or her.

Theseswitches-may be of the normally closed type, connected all inseries so that the throwing of anyone switch will momentarily interruptthe power orcontrol circuit.

By providing colored or distinctive divider sheets at .the first or laststation, the unloading operator need not remove thegathered sheets fromeach tray as it passes the unloading station and may remove thegatheredunits when.

and the rotating tray carrier may be made in separable sections orsegments; thus the table #5 may be made in four sections, detachablybolted at 55 to a central disc or head 59 at the top of the pedestal.Similarly, the ring or annular portion it of the carrier may be made inseparable sections and the radial arms I! be detachably secured on topof the friction disc 20 by having their inner ends extended in underarches 56 on the disc and clamped by bolts 51, said arms having fulcrumpieces 58 bearing on top of said disc.

The complete adaptability of the machine to meet various requirements isof special advantage. The cabinets may be built up in any number ofsections, according to the number of sheets to be taken by eachoperator. These cabinets vmay be spaced on the table, according to theadjusted to set the sheets forward within convenient reach of theoperators. The adjustability of these cabinet sections enables thehandling of any size sheets. The number of gathering trays and theirlocation on the 'carrierring it may be determined to best meet therequire.- ments of the job in hand. By using the adjustable form ofcollecting trays,.sheets of any size can be collected, and held inregistered relation. The spring closed adjustable form ofclamps serve tofirmly grip the trays, either the fixed or adjustable type, on thecarrier ring and by unhooking the springs at 5! these clamps can bequickly opened up to permit removal or adjustment of the trays.

The adjustable friction drive enables rotation of the collecting traysto beset at the best speed for any particular case. While the frictiondrive illustrated is satisfactory, various other forms of drive may beemployed and change in. speed may be provided for by a suitable variablespeed gear set interposed between the motor and'final drive.

The operators withdraw the sheets from. a stationary support directly infront of them and the movements of the hands .are substantially verticalso that the work isnottiring and rapid gathering is easily attained. Thecollecting trays are the only moving parts of the apparatus and thesearebelow the table, .within convenient reach of the hands but out of thedirect range of vision so as to have no tiring or confusing effect uponthe operators.

The power requirements are relatively light, for the work accomplished,since the heavier parts, the table with its load of supply sheets isstationary, and the collecting trays, the moving part, can be carried bya relatively light skeleton form of spider construction.

The collecting or collating action being ef iected by substantiallyvertical movements, any need for hand-jogging of the sheets ispractically eliminated.

What is claimed is:

1. In a gathering machine, the combination of a stationary,substantially circular table, supply cabinets removably and adjustablymounted on said table, operator stations about said table, opposite saidsupply cabinets and aring ofremovably and adjustably mounted collectingtrays rotatably mounted below said table, in between said cabinets andoperator stations.

2. In a gathering machine, the combination of a stationary,substantially circular table, supply cabinets on said table, operatorstations about said table, opposite said supply cabinets, a ring ofcollecting trays rotatably mounted below said table, in between saidcabinets and operator stations and means for rotating said trays pastsaid,

tween said cabinets and operator stations, means for rotating said trayspast said operator stations and controls for said rotating means locatedat said operator stations and disposed in a ring about the base of saidcentral supporting pedestal.

4. In a gathering machine, the combination of a stationary,substantially circular table, supply cabinets on said table, operatorstations about said table, opposite said supply cabinets, a ring ofcollecting trays rotatably mounted below said table, in between saidcabinets and operator stations, a central, supporting pedestal for saidtable andsaid ring of collecting trays having a central hub journaled onsaid pedestal below said table.

5. In a gathering machine, the combination of a stationary,substantially circular table, supply cabinets on said table, operatorstations about said table, opposite said supply cabinets, a ring ofcollecting trays rotatably mounted below said table, in between saidcabinets and operator stations, means for rotating said trays past saidoperator stations and a ring of controls for said rotating means, belowsaid table and with individual controls in line with said operatorstations, said means for rotating said trays including an electric motorand said ring of controls including an annular length of conduit withmotor controlled foot operable switches interposed therein.

6. A gathering machine comprising a central, substantially circular,stationary table, a central supporting pedestal for said table, anannular series of collecting trays having a central hub rotatablymounted on said pedestal and thereby rotatably supported in concentricrelation, below said table, operator stations about said annular seriesof trays and means for rotating said trays past said operator stations,including a motor mounted on the central supporting pedestal below saidhub and driving connections from said motor to said hub.

7.A gathering machine comprising a central stationary table, a ring ofcollecting trays rotating about said table and supply cabinets on saidtable in front of said collecting trays and adjustable in width toaccommodate sheets of different width.

8. A gathering machine comprising a central table, a ring of collectingtrays about said table, and supply cabinets on said table in front ofsaid collecting trays and including inwardly inclined supporting shelvesand adjustable back stops at the inner ends ofsaid supporting shelves.

9. A gathering machine comprising a central supply table, an annularsupport about said supply table and collecting trays removably andadjustably secured on said annular support.

10. A gathering machine comprising a central supply table, an annularsupport about said supply table and collecting trays removably andadjustably secured on said annular support, said collecting trayscomprising telescopically extensible sections and said securing meansbeing carried by said extensible sections to hold said trays in place onthe annular support irrespective of extensible adjustments of the same.

11. A gathering machine comprising a sectional stationary supply table,a sectional ring of collecting trays rotating about said table andsupply cabinets removably engageable on said table.

12. A gathering machine, comprising in combination, a. centralsupporting pedestal, a stationary table mounted on the top of saidpedestal, a hub journalled on the pedestal below said stationary table,arms radiating from said hub, an annular support carried by saidradiating arms, at the rim of said stationary table, collectingreceptacles on said annular support adjacent said rim portion of thetable.

NORMAN D. MITCHELL.

